


Stand By

by littletechiebird



Category: Young Avengers
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-11-05
Updated: 2012-11-05
Packaged: 2017-11-18 00:46:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 843
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/555026
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/littletechiebird/pseuds/littletechiebird
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Just how do you handle it when the love of your life is on the other side of the world? To make things worse, how do you handle it when they’re on the other side of the world with their life constantly in danger?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Stand By

He was never one that was fond of watching the news. He figured out the necessities from the internet, usually. Or maybe Kate, or Eli would act as his personal informants. It had never mattered too much to him, and he didn’t mean for that to be a play on ignorance of what was going on in the world. It was just hard to face the world with those big problems that he didn’t know how to fix. The war that continued to rage across the world. The poverty in worlds he couldn’t reach. He did what he could — giving his change or would-be lunch money to the organizations that helped the various needy causes. He’d done plenty of fundraisers and volunteer work, too. It wasn’t because he felt bad about himself, it was because of how good he felt when he did.

But before when it was the news that would just go over his head or make him close his eyes and hope for the best for those involved, he found himself fighting the nervousness and nausea that came with each story. He found himself attached to the news, searching for every updated article that he could get his hands on. Because in those moments that he’d get those brief webchats, or read the letters that he would open back up time and time again, tucking certain ones away into his wallet, he didn’t want to ask about the danger that was already weighing heavily on the heart of the other man that he worried over. He didn’t want to ask him to relive those moments that threatened to steal him away time and time again. He wanted to do what he could to make him smile. He wanted to see if he had gotten those packages of his favorite snacks, comics, and other little homey items to make him find the earth beneath his feet again.

He wants to hear about the games they play. The ways they kill time and they help. He wants to hear about the new things he sees, the beautiful things that shine among the worst of it. It’s so nice to see the way he smiles, how much like himself he can still be in the face of all those scary things. The way he talks about the competition among his fellow troops when they play basketball, or even something as simple as cards. He watches each time and notes just how much darker he is from the last time they’ve talked. And it’s more amazing to him each time when he’ll look at Teddy, teasing him with a picture from the time before he’d left to point out how “pasty” he was.

It never works to his advantage. He knows that just leaves him to be the only pasty one now. So in stead, every now and again, he’ll decide to, in stead, be jealous of that beautiful golden brown skin paired with that golden hair. He swore he was dating a model. Or a sex god. Either or. 

But reality sobers him up. He’ll get off the call and all he’ll have is the letters and the shirts that are soon losing the perfect smell of Teddy  that’s getting him by. The smell that he’d gotten so used to waking up with every morning along with the feel of that warm skin beneath his fingers and beneath his cheek. He’ll fall asleep burying his face into those shirts pulled over Teddy’s pillow, clutching it tightly, knowing that this is what he’d wanted to do. He was a hero at heart, and Billy only wished he had that bravery. Those aren’t the hardest moments that test him. It’ll come down to those reports on attacks near his station. Billy’s hands will start to shake, and one will rise to cover his mouth as if that will help hold off the bile that wants to rise and escape, the other wrapping around his middle to try and settle the nausea and knots. It doesn’t do a thing. 

When he finds his strength, he’ll stand and scramble to his computer from wherever he is, to sign on and wait.

Minutes.

Hours.

They feel like days either way. But during those times that he does have to wait for a day, or days, he’s frozen in place. He’ll sign on and wait for the notification and the ring. He won’t move. If it wasn’t instinct, he’d probably forget to breathe. His eyes will focus so intensely on the screen, he won’t hear or see anything else.

Then, all of a sudden, there it’ll be.. and there it was now.

His heart jumped into his throat, jumping to accept the near immediate call that was sent his way, clicking outside of the button a couple times due to his nerves before accepting the call properly. 

“Teddy!”

His head is spinning. He can’t help his nerves. He’s already tortured himself with the thought of every possible thing that could have gone wrong after he watched that report.

“T-Tee..?”


End file.
